Dispenser



Sept. 6, 1966 JAMES, JR" ET AL 3,270,390

DISPENSER Filed Sept. 16, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FORREST H. JAMES, JR. ELDRIDGE H. COCKRELL THOMAS 0. NIXON ATTORNEYS has been slow and tedious.

United States Patent 3,270,390 DISPENSER Forrest H. James, In, Opelika, Eldridge H. Cockrell, Au-

burn, and Thomas D. Nixon, Opelika, Ala., assignors to Diversified Products Corporation, Opelika, Ala., a

corporation of Alabama Filed Sept. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 308,975

7 Claims. (Cl. 25-41) This invention relates to a dispenser and is more particularly concerned with a means and method for filling and compacting, into a plurality of casings, a slurry such as concrete or the like in a plastic or fluid condition.

In the manufacture of barbell sets, it has been found desirable when producing weights for the barbell sets to introduce concrete or other heavy aggregate material through a small opening in the periphery of a hollow thermoplastic casing until the aggregate material fills the hollow portion of the casing. In the past this operation For example, we first attempted to fill the casings by pumping the slurried mixture of aggregates, cement and water into a manifold and thence through spouts to the hollow portions of the casings. This did not prove successful, even though pressures approaching 600 p.s.i. were employed. Instead of filling the casings uniformly, the slurry, in many instances, simply blocked certain of the spouts. Also, the incoming slurry blocked the egress of air from the casing, the air, in turn, blocking the entry of additional slurry into the casing.

Next, we attempted to vibrate, simultaneously, the easing and a trough containing the aggregate and having a plurality of spouts which lead to the casings. This too did not prove successful since the slurry would not feed fast enough and the vibrating spouts would tear the easings into which they protruded.

Briefly described, the present invention, which obviates the difiiculties described above, includes a pivotally supported trough which receives the slurried aggregate material. The bottom of the trough is provided with a plurality of spouts which, when the trough is lowered to a discharge position, protrudes into the holes in a plurality of disc shaped hollow casings disposed in juxtaposition on a common shaft extending beneath the trough. The end portions of the shaft are carried by brackets which extend up from a primary vibrator. The trough may be raised or lowered by means of a crank mechanism. The machine also includes a pair of secondary vibrators which project into the trough from opposite ends thereof for vibrating the aggregate material, the secondary vibrators being movable axially of the trough.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and process for quickly, efficiently and inexpensively filling casings with aggregate material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for aggregate material, the dispenser being inexpensive to manufacture, durable in structure and efficient in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser which is capable of substantially uniformly filling and compacting, simultaneously, a plurality of hollow plastic casings through small openings without damaging the plastic material surrounding the opening and without creating voids within the aggregate material discharged into the casings.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention, the

3,270,390 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 trough thereof being shown in its lowered position feeding aggregate material into a plurality of plastic casings disposed beneath the trough.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a portion of the vibrator housing of the present invention and showing the crank mechanism supported thereby.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, it being understood that in its broader aspect, the present invenice tion is not limited to the exact details herein depicted,

numeral 10 denotes generally the trough of the present invention. The trough 10 has a rectangular upper edge and side walls 11 and 12 which taper downwardly, the side walls 11 and 12 being joined at their lower ends by a bottom wall 13. The trapezoidal ends 14 and 15 complete the trough 10 by joining the ends of sidewalls 11 and 12 with the bottom 13. The bottom 13 of trough 10 is provided with a plurality of filling spouts 9, which are equally spaced in longitudinal alignment. Each spout 9 is a hollow cylindrical member open in both ends and communicating with the interior of the trough 10. The spouts 9 project downwardly from the bottom 13, each spout 9 being fixed to the bottom by its upper end.

For supporting the trough 10, a pair of opposed upstanding standards 17 are provided, the lower ends of standards 17 resting upon the fioor (not shown). The upper ends of standards 17 are respectively provided with upstanding cylindrical arms 18, the upper ends of which are joined by a cylindrical, horizontally extending, pivot bar 19. The arms 18 are slideably carried in the standards 17, and are respectively provided with an adjustable collar 20 which limits the downward movement of the arm 18, the collar 20 having set screws 22 threadedly carried thereby for engaging arms 18.

One edge portion of the upper edge of side wall 12 is wrapped loosely around the pivot bar 19 to provide a pivot sleeve 21 which journals pivot bar 19. Thus, the trough 10 may be raised or lowered in an arcuate path, pivoting about the horizontally disposed pivot bar 19. Furthermore, the effective height of trough 10 may be varied i.e., raised or lowered, by loosening the set screws 22 in collars 20 to permit relocation of the collars 20. Thereafter, of course, the set screws 22 are tightened to again fix the position of collars 20, respectively, with respect to the arms 18.

For limiting the downward pivotal movement of trough 10, longitudinal outwardly protruding braces 23 extend sidewise respectively from ends 14 and 15 of the trough 10. Transverse bolts 24 threadedly protrude respectively through braces 23 toward standards 17 so as to engage the standards 17 at positions spaced below the axis of pivot of the trough 10 when the trough is lowered.

Projecting forwardly from side wall 11 is a handle 25 by means of which the trough 10 may be manually lifted for movement in its arcuate path.

Midway between the standards 17 and supported by the floor is a vibrator housing 32. The purpose of the vibrator housing 32 is to support a crank mechanism for raising and lowering the trough 10 and for carrying the primary vibrator, namely the vibrator mechanism for the casings 50 which are to be filled. The housing 32 is rigidly fixed between standards 17 by bracing bars 8 which respectively extend inwardly from standards 17 and are secured to the opposite end walls, such as wall 31.

As a part of the crank mechanism, a lever 26 protrudes rearwardly from side wall 12 and is provided at its outer end with an upwardly opening hook 27 for receiving one end of a chain 28, the other end of which is connected to one end of lever 29. The other end of lever 29 is fixed on stud shaft 30 which protrudes outwardly from an end wall 31 of vibrator housing 32. Shaft 30 is journaled by the pillow block 33 carried by the end wall 31 on the inside of housing 32.

On the inner end of shaft 30 is a cog wheel 34 which meshes with a worm gear 35 carried on one end of a crank shaft 36. The shaft 36 is carried by pillow blocks 37 mounted on the bottom 38 of housing 32. The other end of shaft 36 protrudes outwardly through one side wall of housing 31 and is provided at its outer end with a crank 40 by means of which the shaft 36 may be rotated to thereby rotate, via worm gear 35, cog wheel 34, and stub shaft 30, the radially extending lever 29.

It is now seen that when the end of chain 28 is looped over the hook 27, the manipulation of crank 40 will result in raising or lowering the trough 10.

Within the housing 32 is a primary vibrator 41, known in the trade as a Syntron Vibrator. Vibrator 41 has a flat, horizontally disposed, top plate 42 which protrudes above the upper edge of the housing 32 and upon actuation of vibrator 42, is itself vibrated with respect to the housing 32.

Secured to the top plate 42 are a pair of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending, cross bars 43, the ends of which protrude on opposite sides beyond the housing 32 and toward the standards 17. The ends of cross bars 43 carry upstanding opposed brackets 44 and 45 which respectively are provided with clamps 46 and 47. Clamps 46 and 47 are adapted to receive therebetween a casing supporting bar 49 on which are disposed, in coaxial relationship, a plurality of juxtaposed hollow disc shaped casings 50 which are to receive the aggregate material from trough 10.

Each casing is a hollow cylindrical member having opposed side walls and a central hole through which the bar 49 protrudes. The periphery of each casing 50 is provided with a filling hole 51 through which the aggregate material is fed to the casing 50.

The casings 50 are so disposed on bar 49 that each hole 51 thereof is arranged upper most in alignment with a filling spout 9 so as to receive therein the spout 9. Thus, it will be seen that the spouts 9 must be spaced apart by a distance greater than the width of a casing 50 such that all casings 50 when respectively receiving the spouts 9 are themselves spaced apart along the longitudinally hori zontally disposed bar 49.

The secondary vibrator mechanism includes a pair of concrete vibrators denoted generally by the numerals 6t). Vibrators are respectively suspended by cables 61 from a pulley 60 disposed over the ends 14 and 15 of trough 10. The cables 61 are, in turn, provided with counter weights 63. Each vibrator 60 is a vibrator of the type, known in the trade as a Stow Concrete Vibrator, and includes a vibrator motor 64 having a handle 65 and a long vibrator rod 66 which extends from the motor 64.

In operation, the casings 50 are arranged on bar 49, in an amount corresponding to the number of spouts 9. Each casing 50 should be of the same size, even though any particular batch of casings may be of a size different from the next batch. Next the end portions of bar 49 are mounted in clamps 46 and 47 and clamped in place. At this stage, it will be understood that the trough 10, through manipulation of crank 40, is held in a raised condition such that the spouts 9 are above the casings 50.

After the bar 49 is in place, disposed below trough 10, the casings 50 which are loosely carried by the bar 49 may be readily rotated or moved axially of bar 49. Thus, each casing is so positioned that its hole 51 is adopted to receive a spout 9 upon lowering of the trough 10.

Thereafter, the trough 10 is lowered by manipulation of the crank 40 so that all spouts 9 protrude into the holes 51 in the casings 50. At this stage, the bolts 24 are manipulated to position the bottom 13 of trough 10 slightly above the peripheries of all casings 50. Thus, while the spouts 9 protrude into the casings 50, no weight of the trough 10 is carried by the casings 50. The crank 40 is then further manipulated to loosen chain 28 and permit it to be removed from hook 27.

The aggregate material in a slurried condition and having the consistency of cement in fluid condition is fed into the trough 10 and the rods 66 of concrete vibrators 6t) placed on the trough 10 with their motors 64 disposed outwardly of the ends 14 and 15 of trough 10. Thereafter, all vibrators are actuated. Vibrator 41 imparts a vibrator via bar 49 to the casings 50 while vibrators 60 vibrate the aggregate material. During this filling operation, the vibrators 60 are moved manually in longitudinal directions, even though suitable mechanisms may be employed, if desired, for moving the vibrators 60 with respect to the trough 10.

As the two separate vibrating systems, namely vibrator 41 for the casings 50 and vibrators 60 for the aggregate material, the aggregate material readily flows through spouts 9 and into the casings 50.

After the casings 50 are filled, as evidence by small amounts of the aggregate material overflowing from the casings 50, the chain 28 is reinstalled on hook 27 and the crank 40 manipulated for raising the trough 10. The clamps 47 and 48 are released and bar 49 lifted and transported to a rack where plugs (not shown) are installed on the casings 50 for closing holes 51.

In the event larger or smaller casings or containers, such as casings 50 are to be filled, the height of trough 10 may be varied by varying the positions of collars 20, it being desirable to position collars 20 and the stops i.e., bolts 24, so as to position the trough 1t) essentially horizontally when the trough 10 is in its lowered position.

The trough 10 serves as a storage zone for the viscous aggregate material while the secondary agitators namely vibrators 69 serve to vibrate the viscous aggregate material without imparting :any appreciable vibration to trough 10, Le, vibration sufiicient for the spouts 9 to tear the material surrounding the peripheral holes 51. The spouts 9 prescribe predetermined paths along which the aggregate material is fed by gravity. The clamp 46 and 47 firmly grip the bar 49 in place so that a vibratory force is imparted to the casings 50 while the spouts 9 present appreciable axial movement of the casings 50 thereon.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A dispenser for aggregate material comprising a trough for containing said aggregate material, spouts extending from said trough for feeding aggregate material from said trough, a vibrator for supporting containers to be filled in positions and for receiving said aggregate material from said spouts, and a relatively movable external vibrator including vibrator rods selectively positionable within said trough for vibrating said aggregate material therein.

2. A dispenser for filling a container through a small opening with and compacting therein viscous material comprising, a trough, a relatively movable external vi vibrator including vibrator rods selectively positionable within said trough for vibrating said material within said trough, a spout leading from said trough, support means for supporting said container adjacent said trough with said spout projecting into said opening, and a second vibrator connected to said support means for vibrating said container independently of the vibration imparted aggregate material in said trough.

3. A dispenser for filling a container through a small opening with and compacting therein viscous material comprising, a trough, a relatively movable external vibrator including vibrator rods selectively positionable within said trough for vibrating said material within said trough, a spout leading from said trough, support means for supporting said container adjacent said trough with said spout projecting into said opening, means for supporting said trough pivotally by one edge thereof, and stop means for precluding pivotal movement of said trough when said spout is projecting into said container.

4. A dispenser for filling a container through a small opening with and compacting therein viscous material comprising, a trough, a vibrator within said trough for vibrating said material within said trough, a spout leading from said trough, support means for supporting said container adjacent said trough with said spout projecting into said opening, means for supporting said trough pivotally by one edge thereof, a crank mechanism disposed below said trough, a lever projecting from said trough for raising said trough upon downward movement of said lever, a chain interconnected between the end of said lever and said crank mechanism for urging said end of said lever downwardly upon actuation of said crank mechanism.

5. A dispenser for simultaneously filling with aggregate material a plurality of hollow discs of the type having central holes for being received on a bar and a peripheral hole for receiving the aggregate material, comprising a trough open at its top and having opposed downwardly tapered side walls and ends and a bottom joining the lower edges of said side walls and ends, a plurality of tubular spouts fixed to the bottom of said trough and protruding therebelow, said spouts communicating with the interior of said trough, a base housing, a primary vibrator within said housing and a plate above said housing :and secured to said primary vibrator, bars secured to said plate, a pair of upstanding brackets secured to said bars, clamp means on said brackets for supporting a bar below said spouts for carrying between said brackets and on said bar a plurality of juxtaposed casings with the bar passing through the central hole of :all casings, said brackets extending upwardly sufficiently that said spouts protrude into said peripheral holes in said casings, and secondary vibrators for extending into said trough for agitating aggregate material Within said trough.

6. A dispenser for simultaneously filling with aggregate material a plurality of hollow discs of the type having central holes for being received on a bar and peripheral holes for receiving the aggregate material, comprising support means, a trough pivotally carried by one edge position by said support means, said trough being open at its top, a plurality of tubular spouts fixed to the bottom of said trough and protruding therebelow, said spouts communicating with the interior of said trough, means for pivoting said trough, a base housing, a primary vibrator within said housing, a pair of upstanding brackets secured to said primary vibrator, clamp means on said brackets for supporting a bar below said spouts for carrying between said brackets and on said bar a plurality of juxtaposed casings with the bar passing through the central hole of all casings, said brackets extending upwardly sufficiently that when said trough is pivoted to essentially a horizontal position said spouts protrude into said peripheral holes in said casings, and secondary vibrators for extending into said trough for agitating aggregate material within said trough.

7. A dispenser for simultaneously filling with aggregate material a plurality of hollow discs of the type having central holes for being received on a bar and peripheral holes for receiving the aggregate material, comprising a pair of spaced opposed upstanding standards, a trough pivotally carried by one side between said standards, said trough being open :at its top and having opposed downwardly tapered side walls and ends and a bottom joining the lower edges of said side walls and ends, a plurality of tubular spouts fixed to the bottom of said trough and protruding therebelow, said spouts being in longitudinal alignment and communicating with the interior of said trough, a vibrator housing spaced below said trough, means for pivoting said trough including a lever extend ing from said trough beyond the pivot of said trough and being provided at its outer end with an upwardly opening hook, a chain removably received by one end on said hook, and a crank mechanism carried by said housing and connected to the other end of said chain for moving said chain upon actuation of said crank mechanism, a primary vibrator within said housing, a plate above said housing and secured to said primary vibrator, a pair of upstanding brackets secured to said plate, clamp means on said brackets for supporting a bar in vertical alingment with said spouts for carrying between said brackets and on said bar a plurality of juxtaposed casings with the bar passing through the central hole of all casings, said brackets extending upwardly sufficiently that when said trough is pivoted to essentially a horizontal position said spouts protrude into said peripheral holes in said casings, stop means for arresting the downward pivotal movement of said trough, and secondary vibrators extending into said trough for agitating aggregate material within said trough.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,940 3/ 1880 McCrodden 141-72 800,338 9/1905 Strenli.

941,930 11/1909 Kerlin et a1. 25-41 X 984,721 2/1911 Titus 272-84 1,270,034 6/ 1918 Krudof 272-84 1,434,583 11/1922 Bates 14112 1,490,937 4/1924 Pedersen 249-96 X 1,770,219 7/ 1930 Shakespeare 25-41 2,756,480 7/1956 Smith 25-41 2,757,894 8/1956 Kindseth 141-72 X 2,795,990 6/1957 Bohlman et al. 14112 X 3,103,406 9/1963 Milewski et al. 264-71 FOREIGN PATENTS 511,307 3/1955 Canada. 550,057 10/1956 Italy.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Examiner.

H. S. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR AGGREGATE MATERIAL COMPRISING A TROUGH FOR CONTAINING SAID AGGREGATE MATERIAL, SPOUTS EXTENDING FROM SAID TROUGH FOR FEEDING AGGREGATE MATERIAL FROM SAID TROUGH, A VIBRATOR FOR SUPPORTING CONTAINERS TO BE FILLED IN POSITIONS AND FOR RECEIVING SAID AGGREGATE MATERIAL FROM SAID SPOUTS, AND A RELATIVELY MOVABLE EXTERNAL VIBRATOR INCLUDING VIBRATOR RODS SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE WITHIN SAID TROUGH FOR VIBRATING SAID AGGREGATE MATERIAL THEREIN. 